The present invention relates to a structure meant to be coupled to machinery for treating surfaces, such as an asphalt millers, levellers, pavers or asphalt heaters, as means for support and positional regulation of the automated levelling systems fitted in these machines to detect the unevenness of the ground so that the asphalt is properly distributed and the irregularities are smoothed out.
The object of the invention is to provide, in addition to an optimal attachment of the height sensors, a great ease of operation when changing the length of action of said sensors, adapting said position to the specific requirements of each case.
As it is known, machinery such as asphalt millers, levellers, pavers or asphalt heaters, and in general machines for treating surfaces, are fitted with a number of sensors, generally three, to distribute the asphalt smoothly in view of the unevenness of the ground, with these sensors being separated from each other by between 4 and 16 metres. The sensors convey the information obtained on the ground to a control unit that, in view of the irregularities, will control the asphalt flow supplied by the machine at each time.
In order to support said sensors, and particularly in order to adjust their spacing, rigid bolted members 2 to 3 metres in length are currently used, which preclude an instantaneous adjustment of the system and force to stop the machine to perform said operation, with a considerable assembly time.
Also known is the use of jointed strips of similar dimensions to the aforementioned ones that fold and unfold depending on the distance to be controlled.
This system is cumbersome and unpractical, particularly for use in narrow streets or areas where it is difficult to obtain the space required to perform the folding and unfolding manoeuvre.
The support structure disclosed by the invention solves the aforementioned problems in a fully satisfactory manner, by means of a telescoping design of the two arms that support the sensors, emerging from a centre core or web with respect to which said arms can slide by means of bearings that ensure a smooth motion of the arms and by the existence of fast attachment means for the various sectors of the telescoping arms and for attaching the vertical bars bearing the sensors and said sensors to the aforementioned arms.
More specifically, the centre web is embodied as a cage, preferably made of steel or some other strong material, which given the absence of play determined by the aforementioned bearings allows a transverse motion of the telescoping arms, and which has a main support for its attachment to the asphalt beater that separates and lifts the web itself, as well as being provided with a support for the system control unit and optionally with a mast allowing to brace the telescoping arms when their extension or effective length requires so.
The telescoping arms, embodied as tubes of aluminium or another lightweight and strong material, are connected to each other by caps made of Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene) or another low-friction material, as well as having bearings that ensure ideal sliding conditions without clearance, as well as having fast-action locking means in each segment that act on the next adjacent segment in order to lock the arm at any effective length that is required of it.
The end segment of each arm is provided at its free end with a fast-closure clip for attaching the vertical tube that supports the corresponding sensor, with another similar clip provided in the centre web for the sensor occupying said position. However, it is obvious that clips can also be provided at the free end of each segment of the telescoping arms when a greater number of sensors is used.
It turn, each sensor will have an element for attachment to the corresponding tube, and the height of the sensor can be adjusted as a function of the position of the vertical tube with respect to the upper clip to which it is attached.
In this manner, a support structure is obtained in which the various sensors can adopt any relative position deemed suitable, which position can be changed in an extremely quick and simple operation, with full operational reliability and with full stability of said sensors.